Gladys Cristobal sits inside the makeshift studio inside her home, crocheting another creation with the skills she learned from her childhood in Peru.

"A lot of people from Peru know [how to] crochet," she explained. "My mom taught me how to crochet when I was a child, [but] it was like bed sheets or something like that... The school [taught me] too... they have one hour for crochet."

Earlier this year, Cristobal took those skills up once more when she was pregnant with her daughter, making sure her baby girl had something special to play with and cherish as she got older.

" I did a small bunny for her," she said. "I put it on TikTok, and the people were going 'like, like, like' on my page. I was getting more followers. Somebody [then] wrote me on the message saying, 'Can I order that bunny? I like it.'"

From there, she officially launched Laly Handmade, named in honor of her childhood nickname from her time in Peru. Through her shop, she offers a variety of stuffed animals, dresses and other toys that customers from all over the country have come to love.

" I feel so good, because after they receive my projects… the people say, 'Oh, thank you so much, Gladys. The bunny or teddy bear looks nice. Your job is wonderful,'" she said. "They write me reviews and say, ‘Thank you for everything. God bless you.’"

The growth of her business in such a short amount of time has meant the world to Cristobal, an even though the majority of her work is done in her Hopewell Junction home, she makes sure to keep the business a family affair.

"Sometimes I have help from [family in] Peru," she explained. "When I have a lot of projects [and] orders...they help me with the projects and then send [them] here."

Cristobal's different items can be purchased online in multiple ways. Customers can send her a message on her Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts.